The present invention relates to copolymers of maleic anhydride or copolymers of maleimides. Specifically, the present invention relates to copolymers formed from allylphenols or substituted allylphenols and maleic anhydride or maleimide.
Maleic anhydride does not homopolymerize easily. However, due to its polar character and ability to hydrolyze as well as other physical characteristics, this molecule possesses a great deal of potential utility if incorporated into polymers systems.
Despite the tendency of maleic anhydride not to homopolymerize, applicants have discovered that maleic anhydride, as well as maleimides, readily copolymerize with allylphenols or substituted allylphenols. The maleic anhydride copolymers are characterized by a 1:1 ratio of maleic anhydride moiety to allylphenol or substituted allylphenol moiety. In contrast, the maleimide copolymers are nonequimolar